NJ Paper Terms Left-Wing Think Tank, Govt. Union as 'Non-Partisan'

One of the largest newspapers in Trenton, New Jersey recently characterized a left-wing think tank and a liberal government employee union as “non-partisan” in a news story on a report exploring the economic impact of comprehensive immigration reform. Naturally, that “impact” was all positive, according to the report.

The Trentonian began its report with the mischaracterization saying, “A new report conducted by a non-partisan group has revealed detailed research about the economic impact that comprehensive immigration reform would have on states.”

The story goes on to reveal that the two “non-partisan” groups that put together this economic report were the Center for American Progress–the paper calling it “a non-partisan research organization”–and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees–one of the biggest government employee unions in the nation.

Firstly, the Center for American Progress (CAP) is in no way a “non-partisan” research organization, despite what it calls itself. CAP was founded with millions of dollars from socialist billionaire George Soros and is headed up by such left-wingers and Democrats as John Podesta, Hillary Clinton, Morton Halperin, and Harold Ickes.

Further, CAP hosts one of the most virulently left-wing blogs on the Internet: ThinkProgress. CAP is filled with Soros and Clinton cronies and also helped launch the left-wing website Media Matters for America. It serves talking points to the Obama administration, and is headed by Bill Clinton’s former chief of staff. That is hardly “non-partisan.”

Then there’s the union, The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which is one of the most active unions for government workers in the country.

AFSCME often comes in among the top 20 donors to the Democrat Party. In 2012, AFSCME donated over $11 million to the Democrats and, according to OpenSecrets.org, 100 percent of their donations went to liberals. Not only that, but OpenSecrets also reports since 1989 AFSCME ranks as the second all time highest donor to the Democrat Party. Interestingly, only two GOP donors appear in that top 20 top donors list, while 13 are strictly Democrat donors and five donate close to half and half between the two parties.

The Trentonian calls these two groups “non-partisan”?

As to the report these “non-partisan” groups put out, unsurprisingly it claims that immigration reform will have a “huge” and positive economic impact on New Jersey and the country.

The left-wing groups offer an extremely rosy claim that comprehensive immigration reform will create jobs, raise wages, boost economic activity, lead to more home buying, and help boost entitlements as more taxpayers are able to pay into the system.

These claims are left-wing boilerplate, certainly, but left-wing claims they are, and The Trentonian does its readers a disservice not to inform them that the two groups that put out this report are as far from “non-partisan” as possible.